MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Coastal Georgia coupled a hard-hitting offense with a brilliant pitching performance from Dawn Stewart to secure a 6-0 shutout in Game 1 of this afternoon's Southern States Athletic Conference doubleheader before Faulkner evened the playing field with a fourth inning rally in the nightcap to clinch the split with the 6-3 decision here at Wynn Field.

The Mariners' (8-27/6-16 SSAC) 7-26 record entering the series belied the offensive fire power the team had in store. The visitors connected for 13 hits and scored in all but the first two innings while Stewart anchored the flip side of play with a two-hit effort from the circle.

Mattie Dotson (10-8) gave up eight hits and a pair of earned runs in five innings of work and tallied six strikeouts in the loss. 

Taylor Griffith took over in the sixth and allowed five its and three earned runs in the final two innings of play.

Faulkner's sluggish offense finally found momentum in the second contest and production started early when Jessica Butterworth answered a Coastal Georgia run with an RBI triple to tie the event in the first inning. The junior then scored on a wild throw to third to give the Lady Eagles a 2-1 advantage.

The Mariners retaliated quickly, however, with a two-run blast from Andrea Coleman with two outs in tow the follow inning to slip back into the lead.

Hannahlee Harris then revived the lineup when she initiated the front side of a two-out rally in the fourth with a slap shot triple over the shortstop scoring a pair of runs. Butterworth then extended the Faulkner lead to 6-3 when she drove in the final run of the contest on a triple to left field.

Butterworth was 3-for-4 with three RBIs on two triples and scored a run in the second game. Harris went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and runs.

Katie Goodson, Taylor Griffith and Makenzie Anthony were also each 2-for-3 and the latter two each scored.

Hayden Strickland (9-4) picked up her second win of the week in Game 2. The sophomore held the potent Mariner attack to six hits and allowed just a single earned run will logging four strikeouts.

The split moved Faulkner to 22-16 overall and 12-10 in the league. The Lady Eagles host Middle Georgia State in SSAC doubleheader action Tuesday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m.